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There once lived a diligent farmer who worked with his hoe on the fields every day for years. One day, a monk on his rounds to seek alms approached him. He saw that the monk was leading a wandering life where he could leisurely come and go freely. That made him start to have the thought of going into monkhood as well.
When he got home, he decided to cast aside everything he had and move on to lead a carefree life with an alms bowl, just like the monk he met. As he stepped out of the house, he suddenly felt the strange emptiness on both hands. It was his habit to leave home with a hoe in hand; hence, he could not get used to being empty-handed. He felt a great sense of loss, having to let go of everything now. Hence, he went back, picked up the hoe he used every day and looked up and down at his tool, which was already glistening with use over time. He was so attached to it that he could not bear to let go of the hoe and repeatedly picked it up when he was about to leave.
Eventually, he gave the hoe a good clean and wrapped it up with a cloth before placing it at an appropriate place. He felt more assured after that and left the house. He was determined to lead the life of a monk but would unwittingly be reminded of the hoe whenever he passed by any lush grassland. He would always return home to check on the hoe whenever he could not control himself. He would unwrap the hoe, feel it and then wrap it up again before returning to the temple.
After seven or eight years of leading the life of an ascetic, he thought to himself, “Why have I gained nothing despite practising diligently for the past few years?” Upon reflection, he then realised that there was something which he had not let go of. He made up his mind to seek closure to this attachment. Hence, he went home again, took out the hoe, walked to a big lake and with all his might, swung the hoe into the lake. The hoe fell into the lake with a splash, and at the same time, he felt the sudden relief of an enormous burden in his heart. “I have succeeded! I have overcome the battle!” He shouted exuberantly.
At that time, a king was leading troops home from a victorious war. He could hear from afar a voice exclaiming, “I have succeeded! I have overcome the battle!” The King could see his exceptionally delighted look from a distance, and he rode his horse towards him and asked, “Why are you so overjoyed? What have you overcome?” The monk replied, “I have taken on a challenge with my internal self, and I have won the battle. I am now able to forsake all the attachments I have.”
Upon seeing the cultivator’s joy, the King could sense the genuine happiness and relief that stemmed from his heart. He then looked back at himself and reflected, “I am a man of such great strength and power, capable of commanding thousands of men to war. Even with the victory at war, do I have peace of mind and am I truly happy? He suddenly realised this inadequacy of his as compared to the cultivator. As such, the King began to have great respect for the cultivator because a true sage is able to overcome his mind and inner self while winning a war on the battlefield is for an ordinary man. With this understanding, it is important to rid the mind of incessant thoughts & unnecessary worries.
We often say, “Just let go and get over it!” But these words are always easier said than done. And because this is no easy feat, the process is termed as “cultivation”. Cultivation is the practice of freeing our minds and not cling to our personal opinions. The burden of holding on to our attachments can result in internal turmoil and unknowingly form obstacles in life. It is the unnecessary worries that lead to the unavoidable “six paths of transmigration”, just like a rope with many complicated knots. How do we relieve ourselves of the knots? The right way is to free up our minds and let go of all attachments.
Translated by Kerri Loh
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